The Mini Transat Mission: An Offshore Sailing Podcast

In this episode we talk all about the new Classe Mini 6.50 Prototype that is currently under construction in La Trinité-sur-Mer, France. Partnership announcement! Hear more about our exciting news with Quantum Sails. Read about it here: https://www.pgnoceanracing.com/blog/partnership-announcement-quantum-sails-2026 We are still looking for additional sponsors to launch this campaign forward. Are y...

Story time with PGN! Grab a cup of coffee, throw on some headphones, and relax as you listen to this soothing voice describe sailing offshore alone at high speeds. We (Peter & Jane) start with sharing a bit about our experience attending the Cruising Club of America's (CCA) Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner in NYC. It was a quick trip back to the US but meant so much being there in person...

Let’s kick off this campaign in France! Welcome back to The Mini Transat Mission with Peter Gibbons-Neff and Jane Millman. So much to cover but let’s start with…what should we name this new boat???? Make sure to sign up for updates at https://www.pgnoceanracing.com/blog Thank you for listening!

#17. This week we have Federico Norman of Argentina talk about his Mini Transat experience on a Vector named "Red Hot Mini Pepper". Have a question or comment? Reach out at peter@pgnoceanracing.com and make sure to check out my website www.pgnoceanracing.com. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram @pgnoceanracing

#16. Jonas Gomes joins the podcast this week from Brazil to discuss his experience in the 2023 Mini Transat and what it took to get to the starting line. Have a question or comment? Reach out at peter@pgnoceanracing.com and make sure to check out my website www.pgnoceanracing.com. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram @pgnoceanracing

#15. This week I talk with Jérôme Merker from Luxembourg who completed the 2023 Mini Transat.  Have a question or comment? Reach out at peter@pgnoceanracing.com and make sure to check out my website www.pgnoceanracing.com. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram @pgnoceanracing

#14. Piers Copham joins me on the podcast this week.  He is from Great Britain and completed the 2021 and 2023 editions of the Mini Transat in the same prototype.   Now, if that was not enough... going into this recent Mini Transat, Piers first completed the Solitaire du Figaro (a major solo race itself) then just a few days later crossed the starting line on his Mini. To learn more about the orga...

#13. This week I sit down with Sylvain Karpinski who is from Canada and raced in the 2023 Mini Transat on a Vector named Gusta. It is a fascinating story of how he quickly learned how to sail and jumped right into preparing for this big race.  Then during the Mini Transat he had to overcome challenges such as climbing his mast while solo in big seas and even broke his bow sprit multiple times.  He...

#12. Kicking off the first of many interviews this year with the Irish Mini sailor Mark O'Connor! Mark has his sights set on the 2025 Mini Transat in series with his Maxi. We discuss how he got into the Classe Mini starting out in a Pogo2 and the transition to a newer boat. When Mark is not on his Mini, you can find him working on the electronics of an IMOCA in France. You can find Mark on Ins...

#11. Happy New Year! First episode of 2024 where we cover briefly the delivery from Guadeloupe to Florida. Make sure to follow this podcast, because we have a lot of new episodes coming out soon with interviews from other Mini sailors. Feel free to email us at peter@pgnoceanracing.com

#10. Leg 2 of the Mini Transat complete! What a wild adventure with breaking off my rudder completely and stopping in Cape Verde for a quick 12 hour repair. Then spending the next two weeks racing across the Atlantic ocean. Listen to Jane and I break down the second and final leg of this transatlantic ocean race. Watch my interview with Alex from the Winded Voyage YouTube Channel in Cape Verde dur...

#9. The final half of the race from the first leg. Listen as I review the After Action Report parts 3 &4 and add some additional insight. Check out the AAR Blog posts for pictures and race tracker screen shots for the times I am referencing here. Part 3: https://www.pgnoceanracing.com/blog/mini-transat-leg-1-aar-pt3-days-5-8 Part 4: https://www.pgnoceanracing.com/blog/mini-transat-leg-1-aar-pt...

#8. Listen as I recap the first four days of racing in the 2023 Mini Transat. While reading through parts 1 &2 from my After Action Review (AAR) blog posts, I also add some additional insights into what was happening out on the race course. Find these blog posts and more on my website here: https://www.pgnoceanracing.com/blog Interested in supporting this mission? Donate here: https://www.pgno...

#7. Most Marines can still hear the saying "Your prep time has ended..." echo across the rifle range, no matter how long ago they experienced the qualification process. Well, those words still felt just as real as we approached the start of the 2023 Mini Transat. Listen to this episode where Jane Millman helps me break down the final preparations for the big race. We discuss the experien...

#6. With less than 40 days until the start of the 2023 Mini Transat, I host our first interview for the podcast! Jane Millman has been an integral part of this mission from the very beginning and shares some of her insights into this campaign. She has sailed about 1,000 nm on Terminal Leave and has some stories to share about sailing in the Bay of Biscay, English Channel, and Celtic Sea. Jane adds...

#5. July SITREP: With just over two months left before the start of the Mini Transat, it is time for an update. These past few months have been extremely busy as we get closer to the start of the big race. Recorded July 18, 2023 from Annapolis, MD. Make sure to sign up and check out the July SITREP blog post online: https://www.pgnoceanracing.com/blog/july-sitrep-1 Please support this campaign and...

#4. What does take to qualify for the Mini Transat? With so many skippers competing for 90 spots in the big race, understanding the rules, race calendar, and registration process is critical to qualifying in time. The simple answer is 1500 nm of racing in the class and a 1,000 nm solo qualifier...but it gets complicated quickly! Find the Mini race calendar here: https://www.classemini.com/?mode=co...

#3. Let's break down the difference between prototype and series boats within the Classe Mini 6.50 Starting with THE most important website to know if you are thinking of jumping into Mini sailing. The website is not easy to find and not listed on the Classe Mini website anywhere...follow this podcast to learn more tips like this! (Note: if you get a security error...keep hitting refresh or tr...

#2. In this episode I explain what the Mini Transat is and break it down in a quick overview. The Mini Transat is a 4,050 nautical mile solo ocean race on 21’ sailboats ( Classe Mini 6.50 ) across the Atlantic Ocean. Starting from Les Sables d’Olonne, France the first leg is 1,350 nm to Santa Cruz de La Palma. This is the westernmost island of the Canary archipelago off the west coast of Africa. W...

#1. Welcome to the first episode of The Mini Transat Mission: An Offshore Sailing Podcast! I am your host, Peter Gibbons-Neff, and my mission is to race in the upcoming 2023 Mini Transat. This 4,050 nautical mile solo race departs from France in September in 21' sailboats. In this podcast we will explore all things Classe Mini 6.50 related with a focus on the Mini Transat. It will cover solo o...